An ink-jet recording apparatus (hereinafter, referred to simply as a “recording apparatus”) that records images on a recording medium, i.e., a recording sheet of paper in ink is widely known. The recording apparatus includes an ink-jet type recording head. The recording head selectively jets ink supplied to the recording head onto the recording sheet from nozzles. As a result, an image is recorded on the recording sheet. The recording apparatus further includes a mounting portion to which an ink cartridge is mounted. The ink cartridge is removably mounted to the mounting portion. Ink can be supplied to the recording head from the ink cartridge mounted to the mounting portion.
A recording apparatus capable of performing color printing uses a plurality of color inks such as black ink, yellow ink, cyan ink, and magenta ink. These color inks are stored in ink cartridges corresponding to the respective colors. The recording apparatus also has multiple cases for storing the ink cartridges storing the plurality of colors inks, respectively. Therefore, each case is designed to receive an ink cartridge of a particular color.
In the recording apparatus using such color inks, it is necessary to mount each ink cartridge to a proper respective one of the cases. If an ink cartridge of a particular color is mounted to a case that does not correspond to the ink cartridge of the particular color, colors will be mixed, which noticeably lowers image quality. Moreover, when two kinds of ink cartridges, one of which stores pigment-based black ink and the other of which stores dye-based black ink, are mounted to one recording apparatus, the mounting of an ink cartridge to a wrong case is liable to occur.
Therefore, a mechanism that prevents insertion of an inappropriate ink cartridge into a given mounting portion is provided in a known recording apparatus. In this recording apparatus, the insertion of an ink cartridge is temporality blocked in a given position before the ink cartridge is completely mounted to the mounting portion. Information is read from an IC memory mounted on the ink cartridge when the ink cartridge is in the given position. Based on the information read therefrom, a determination is made as to whether the ink cartridge is a proper one to be inserted and mounted to the mounting portion. If a determination is made that the ink cartridge is a proper one to be mounted, the blockage of insertion is removed such that the ink cartridge is allowed to be mounted to the mounting portion. Such a known recording apparatus is described in WO 01/005596 A1 for example.
Nevertheless, in the recording apparatus described above, it is necessary to mount an IC memory on the ink cartridge and to provide an IC-memory reading device on the recording apparatus. Therefore, not only the structure of the ink cartridge but also the structure of the recording apparatus becomes complicated. In addition, the cost of products is increased. The IC memory is also susceptible to environmental damage. For example, in an environment in which an ink mist might hang in the air or in which ink leakage from the ink cartridge might be caused, drops of ink might adhere to the IC memory. If so, information may not be read from the IC memory correctly, and, even if a proper ink cartridge is inserted into the mounting portion, a false determination may be made that an ink cartridge has been erroneously inserted.